The SSS-rank Guide Doesn't Need Saving

Kane, Sabel, and Vesper spent the remainder of their free period scouring the academy grounds for their new combat instructor, dragging Aisha along with them the entire time.

They checked the training fields first, then the faculty offices, the restrooms, the cafeteria, and even the corridor outside the dean’s office where instructors occasionally lingered to submit paperwork.

Yet, he was nowhere to be found.

"Maybe he has already left the academy," Sabel noted, scanning the deserted hallway one last time.

Vesper kicked at the ground as if sending an imaginary stone flying. "Fantastic. We wasted an entire afternoon for absolutely nothing."

By the time the bell rang to signal the end of the day, loose clusters of students were already streaming out of the academic buildings, chattering excitedly about their weekend plans. Still, there was no sign of their new instructor.

Kane rubbed the back of his neck, exhaustion evident in his voice. "Let’s just try again tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?!" Vesper groaned loudly. "The duel is barely a week away!"

"And tomorrow is the weekend," Sabel reminded him. "Unless you plan on breaking into the faculty dormitory..."

Vesper opened his mouth, highly likely to agree to that exact reckless proposal, but Kane cut him off before the words could fully form.

"Don’t be foolish. Forget the match; we’ll end up getting a prison sentence on top of a forced expulsion."

Kane refused to let his companions court disaster again, especially when they were already walking on a tightrope over the expulsion.

Having no other choice, they decided to give up the search for the day and regroup later.

Vesper, whose foul moods never lasted long, immediately pivoted to a different idea. "Since we have nothing else to do, let’s go check out the new arcade near the commercial plaza. I heard they just installed a new combat simulator pod."

The combat simulator pod was currently one of the most popular attractions among the students. Unlike the past, when such advanced tech was strictly restricted to military training, students could now access them without a special permit. All it required was a verified identity registration as Sentinel or a Guide.

Sabel agreed instantly. "Count me in."

Kane naturally had no intentions of staying behind while the other two went.

The trio then turned their gazes toward Aisha, waiting for her decision.

Aisha was just about to agree--after all, she had no particular reason to refuse, and returning to the villa early held no appeal--when a sudden realization snagged the back of her mind. A subtle nagging sense of emptiness washed over her, like a missing weight against her collarbone.

Her body froze for a brief second. As she rapidly retraced her steps throughout the day, it finally clicked.

The furry little beast she had tucked securely into her collar that morning was completely gone.

She hadn’t felt it slip away, nor had it made a single sound. It had simply vanished into thin air sometime between her classes. What made matters worse was that it had taken her own spiritual beast along with it.

But why hadn’t Nibbles stayed behind?

She had no idea where either of them had gone, only a vague, uneasy thought that the massive spiritual beast might have wandered back to wherever it came from.

But if it had, why hadn’t Nibbles stayed behind?

As she debated whether to voice her concerns, a sudden flicker caught the corner of her eye. A thin trail of pale green light was curling along the base of a nearby wall, slipping entirely out of sight just around the corner.

Aisha’s gaze sharpened instantly.

"Actually," she spoke up, cleanly interrupting whatever praise Vesper was currently singing about the arcade. "I have something urgent to take care of first. Go on ahead without me."

Vesper blinked in surprise. "Wait, seriously? You’re bailing on us just like that?"

"I’ll join you next time," she promised, already taking a step back to distance herself from the group.

Kane looked like he wanted to press for more details, but Aisha was already turning away on her heels, swiftly following the exact direction the green light had vanished into.

***

The trail was incredibly faint, barely more than a wisp of smoke curling to the low ground, but Aisha had no trouble tracking it with her perception. Countless students passed right by it without so much as glancing down. Clearly, it was able to hide its presence from other people.

She followed the glowing thread past the main training fields and past a row of old storage sheds, until it finally led her into a quiet corridor she didn’t recall ever using before.

At the very end of the isolated hallway, the trail abruptly stopped right in front of a plain, unassuming door.

Aisha paused, a slight frown marring her forehead as she searched her memories. This section of the building belonged to an office that, as far as she could recall, had sat empty for years--the exact kind of forgotten place students didn’t even realize existed.

She reached for the handle, already bracing herself to force it open if it proved to be locked.

To her surprise, it turned effortlessly.

The door creaked open under her palm. Aisha stepped inside, fully expecting an abandoned room layered in thick dust.

But it wasn’t empty.

Someone was already occupying the space.

For a moment, she simply stood in the doorway, completely caught off guard. Then, she recognized the striking pale hair and sharp profile turned slightly toward the window.

Quickly recovering her composure, she greeted him, "Instructor Zeke."

The moment the words left her mouth, her gaze fell upon what he was holding.

Dangling from his grip by the scruff of its neck was the exact same furry, Qilin-like beast she had been frantically chasing. It hung there with all the dignity of a plush toy left out in the rain, its tiny legs curled up beneath it. Its large, watery eyes tilted up at him with an expression so pitiful it resembled a helpless puppy.

Zeke finally shifted his gaze over to her, entirely unbothered by the sight of a student walking uninvited into his newly claimed office.

"What are you doing here?"

"...I came to retrieve something," she replied, her eyes remaining firmly locked on the furry creature in his hand.

He lifted the beast slightly, as if presenting it to her. "This?"

She nodded.

"It’s yours?"

Aisha nodded again. "Yes."

Zeke raised an eyebrow, silently meeting her gaze with a piercing look.

At that exact moment, the beast in his hold seemed to puff up with quiet satisfaction of being claimed. Its expression instantly shifted into something smug, entirely ignoring the fact that it was still hanging by its scruff like a disobedient kitten.

Zeke shot the creature a flat, chilling look--one so subtle that Aisha completely missed it.

The beast’s satisfaction crumpled into dust instantly. Its tail, which had curled proudly just a second ago, tucked itself tightly between its short legs.

It suddenly looked as though it had deeply regretted every single life choice had led it to this exact moment.

"Pretentious."